12 Favorite Kale Salads (plus, how to make the best kale salad!)

I counted up the number of beloved kale salad recipes on this blog the other day and came up with an even twelve. Kale salads are my favorite so I decided they deserve a dedicated post!

Why do I love kale salads so? Well, for one, dressed kale salads keep well in the refrigerator for a couple of days, unlike most salads made with more delicate greens. Since they store well, they are a great pack-for-lunch option.

Secondly, kale salads are packed full of nutrients and fiber thanks to the kale and complementary produce. Did you know that just one cup of kale offers over two times the amount of Vitamin A you need in one day? It’s no wonder I feel like Wonder Woman after I eat a giant kale salad.

Last but not least, kale salads are perfect for when you’re in the mood for a big meal but don’t want to feel weighed down afterward. They’re especially great during the holidays—whether you’ve overindulged in cookies or just need a hearty option to offer vegetarians, kale salad is the answer.

There is an art to making a great kale salad, one that I picked up when I briefly worked at a raw/vegan restaurant owned by Matthew Kenney.

Here are my tips to making a great kale salad:

Remove the ribs: Regardless of which variety of kale you choose (they all make great salads), you’ll first want to remove the tough ribs from the leaves. Use a chef’s knife (here’s mine) to slice out the stems or just pull the leaves from the ribs with your fingers. The ribs are too chewy and distracting to include in the salad, but you can chop them and sauté them later. Or feed them to your dog, if your dog will eat anything like Cookie!

Sprinkle with salt: Next, transfer the kale to a serving bowl and sprinkle it lightly with sea salt (salt helps cut the bitter flavor of kale).

Massage the kale: Yes, this step sounds ridiculous, but it makes all the difference. Reach into the bowl with (clean) hands and start grabbing handfuls of kale. Scrunch, release, scrunch, release. Repeat until the kale is fragrant and dark green. This makes the kale less poky and more palatable. Kale is tough, so don’t worry about damaging the leaves! This step should take 30 seconds or less.

Dress the kale: Drizzle in a bold dressing and massage that into the leaves so the kale is lightly and evenly coated with dressing (this is important!). Kale does particularly well with zippy dressings. If you’ve always followed the standard vinaigrette formula (one part vinegar to three parts oil), you’ll probably want to up the ratio of vinegar for kale salads. I tend to add a little more dressing to kale salads than other green salads.

Toss well: Now is the time to toss in additions like toasted nuts, grated/crumbled cheese and/or chopped raw fruits and veggies. If you have time, let the salad marinate for ten minutes before serving. Ta da! Best kale salad ever.

Below, you’ll find my twelve favorite kale salads (ten salads and two recipes with kale salad components), plus special diet details and comments from readers who can vouch for these salads. I don’t say it enough, but I love your feedback!

“I LOVE this salad, and virtually lived off of it for several months last summer when you first posted the recipe. I’ve re-found it again this summer and it’s just as good as the first time. I like to add chopped mango and cashews to the mix, and if I make it for dinner, I add prawns too. Fantastic every which way!” – Kate

“This is the first recipe I’ve tried from your site, which I’ve visited for several months, and now I’m wondering what’s taken me so long! This salad is delicious, and the dressing combines ingredients I never would have thought to put together, lending a salty, sweet, umami punch (somehow all at once!) to the greens. I’m looking forward to my leftovers at lunch today!” – Lauren

“I just made this dish for dinner and… I am just stunned. Just about every single ingredient is a superfood AND it was so delicious, I couldn’t help licking the spoon! Next time I’m going to make a double portion of the fantastic pesto and save some to spread on whole grain toast in the morning. This recipe is a winner!!! Thank you so much for posting it.” – Elyse

“I made this salad last night for dinner and had the leftovers this afternoon for lunch and both were absolutely delicious! Love this salad, plan to make it many more times and it’s a great salad to make over the holidays!” – Jena

“Made this tonight… was feeling apprehensive about all the kale, but the dressing was perfect, and the textures of the cheese, black beans and especially the tortilla strips were superb. A salad I can’t stop eating!!” – Elizabeth

“I just found this recipe yesterday and made it right away. This is hands down one of the best salads I have ever had! My husband agrees. This will be a regular at our house! The granola makes enough for many more salads and I assume I can just freeze it to have ready for next time. The fennel seeds really add alot. Thanks for the great recipe!” – Lisa

“Kate, thank you for this recipe – the tahini miso dressing was a revelation. It has a great flavor that is also quite unexpected. And such surprises don’t happen often. We loved it (and so did the kale).” – Nina

“OMG this is the second kale salad recipe I’ve tried from this blog and I think I had a new favourite vegetable! This is the perfect blend of crunchy, sweet, tart! Thanks for yet another awesome recipe (that my meat eating husband will even eat!) P.S. I did substitute celery for radishes (had to work with what was in the fridge) but I bet the radishes add a great peppery crunch!” – Natalie

“I’ve always been obsessed with making my own variation on a burrito bowl, but your recipe takes the cake! Soaking the kale in lime makes it so much easier to integrate into a dish where kale might seem a little out of place. I make this at least once a week, and my husband, a ravenous carnivore, loved it, too!” – Ashley

The cumin-lime kale from that burrito bowl is probably one of my favorite ways to eat kale ever! The dressing is so easy to make, but it makes such a difference in the entire dish. Thanks for reminding me how much I love that recipe :)

What an extremely useful post to find in my inbox this morning, i am fortunate to grow kale year round where I live so I will be referring to this post often! I love kale salads and people seem to ask me about the recipes so now I can forward them this post and give them options! thanks so much.

I love all things kale. Especially raw in salads with fruit or nuts. Perfect. I would like to re-blog this post under Found Treasures where my patients can find delicious nutritious recipes. I’ll await your approval.

Hi Tracey, thanks for asking. I’m sorry, though, I don’t allow my recipes to be published elsewhere. If you’d like to share one of my photos and link over to the post for the others, that would be fine with me.

What a great post! As a lover of kale I can’t have enough recipes for various salads – and dressings – which includes this fab leafy green. Your blog is very inspirational and beautifully laid out. Would love to feature you on my blog greenswede.net – posts like this one are fantastic. Birgitta

Hi Kate! Just wondering if you have ever prepared kale for a salad by blanching it for 30 seconds, then shocking it in cold water? That’s how I usually prep my kale for eating it raw…wondering if the salt treatment you describe makes the kale just as tender?

Oh, I need to try some of these gorgeous salads! Last night I made your Roasted Delicata Squash, Pomegranate and Arugula Salad, substituing massaged kale for the arugula and adding some quinoa to make it a meal. It was SO good!

I have two golden retrievers who love good food as well and think vegies are treats. Thank you thank you thank you for the tips on kale. I just made a kale salad with a dressing I made today with chokecherry juice and apple cider vinegar I brew to add to olive oil. the salad was unquestionably fabulous!!

These look so fantastic! Since I can’t choose my favorite, I will be making each of the 12 salads in the coming days. I think my kids will enjoy these too and Nugget (our cocker spaniel) loves kale stems, so she will think it is a party.

Love your website, excited to try these recipes! I want to eat healthier, just need some inspiration. I also had a pup named Cookie growing up. She looked a lot like you precious pup, only red.
Many Blessings,
Suzy

I thought I was the only one who fed her dog kale! Kona loves the stuff so much she’ll try to steal it out the fridge every time we open the door. Puppies aside, these recipes look delicious, I’ll be making one tonight (and Kona will be feasting on kale steams).

I used this to make my first homemade kale salad today after having one at a restaurant a few days back and loving it! Can’t believe I haven’t hopped on the kale train before today. I’m excited to use more of these recipes.

KATE TAYLOR, that is so interesting! I’ve never thought to massage my kale before. Do you know what kind of kale you’re getting in your CSA? I’m almost wondering if some types are more bitter than others? Great tip!!

The flavor combinations in this salad are so delicious. I love kale and I love Asian flavors and this salad is a perfect marriage of the two. I made it yesterday with kale from my garden and served it at dinner with friends. Everyone absolutely loved it! This is the first recipe of yours that I’ve made but I’ll definitely be trying others. Thank you so much Kate for sharing your scrumptious creativity.

I am preparing kale salad for 100, could you suggest how many bunches of kale I would need? Have toasted shaved almonds and dried cranberries and grated parmesan cheese to add with lemon-garlic salad dressing. Thanks for any help.

Hi Colleen, that’s a lot of kale salad! I’m not sure how many bunches you’ll need, especially since bunches of kale vary significantly by weight. If you’re aiming for side salads, I’d guess you could get 3 to 4 servings per bunch, but it really depends on the size of the bunch and serving size. Sorry, wish I could say for sure!